Ground-level O3 pollution and its impacts on food crops in China: A review

• Published in: Environmental pollution (1987) Vol. 199; pp. 42 - 48
• Main Authors: Feng, Zhaozhong, Hu, Enzhu, Wang, Xiaoke, Jiang, Lijun, Liu, Xuejun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.04.2015
• Subjects: Air Pollutants - analysis; Air Pollutants - toxicity; China; Crop yield loss; Crops, Agricultural - drug effects; Environmental Pollution - statistics & numerical data; food crops; grain yield; Humans; issues and policy; monitoring; Oryza - drug effects; ozone; Ozone - analysis; Ozone - toxicity; Ozone concentration distribution; Policy; pollution; rice; Triticum - drug effects; wheat; China; Policy; China; Ozone concentration distribution; Crop yield loss
• ISSN: 0269-7491; 1873-6424; 1873-6424
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2015.01.016

Ground-level ozone (O3) pollution has become one of the top environmental issues in China, especially in those economically vibrant and densely populated regions. In this paper, we reviewed studies on the O3 concentration observation and O3 effects on food crops throughout China. Data from 118 O3 monitoring sites reported in the literature show that the variability of O3 concentration is a function of geographic location. The impacts of O3 on food crops (wheat and rice) were studied at five sites, equipped with Open Top Chamber or O3-FACE (free-air O3 concentration enrichment) system. Based on exposure concentration and stomatal O3 flux–response relationships obtained from the O3-FACE experimental results in China, we found that throughout China current and future O3 levels induce wheat yield loss by 6.4–14.9% and 14.8–23.0% respectively. Some policies to reduce ozone pollution and impacts are suggested. •Ozone concentrations are increasing in most of regions of China.•Ozone has caused high yield loss of food crops in China.•More species and local varieties should be investigated for ozone sensitivity.•Developing the air quality standards for crops is required in China.•More air quality stations in the rural are needed. Ground-level ozone is one of the most serious environmental pollutants for food production in China.